The Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room

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Monday, August 14, 2017

As NASA expanded its
space exploration and satellite program a network to track satellites and the
data they collected also developed.
There were Minitrack Stations in the U.S., England, South Africa, South
America, and Australia but in 1963 the only data-acquisition facility was in
Fairbanks, Alaska. The purpose was to
gather data from satellites and space craft.

This required a location
with quiet surroundings—minimal outside noise, air traffic, radio interference
and no nearby high-voltage electrical lines.
The 70 acre site near Balsam Grove provided this, plus was located in a
secluded valley on national forest land.

The Rosman Satellite
Tracking and Data Acquisition Facility, locally known as The Tracking Station, was
constructed in 1963 and formally dedicated on October 26, 1963. The enormous “dish” or ears picked up and tracked
data from satellite locations to an astronaut’s blood pressure, as well as
“other sounds” from outer space. The
tracking system could also send commands to satellites and space craft. The staff of approximately 100 was mainly
scientists, engineers, and technicians.

As technology developed
and NASA’s communication needs evolved tracking stations were phased out in the
early 1980s. In 1981, the Rosman facility was
transferred to the Department of Defense.
At its peak there were
approximately 250 employees. The work
was highly secretive and employees were not allowed to talk about their jobs, even
with family or friends.

In 1995, the Department of Defense closed the
facility and returned the site to the U.S. Forest Service.

In 1999, the site was purchased from the U.S.
Forest Service and gifted to PARI for use as an astronomical research and
educational facility. Today PARI is
known as a world-class research center, offering STEM educational opportunities
from elementary school through post-doctoral.
PARI is open to the public for self-guided tours and offers scheduled
guided tours. Visit their website at www.pari.edu.

Photographs and information for this column are provided
by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library. Visit the NC Room during regular library
hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional
photographs. For more information, comments
or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org
or 828-884-3151 X242.

Monday, August 7, 2017

The Oak
Grove Cemetery on the Asheville Highway across from Blue Ridge Community
College is the burial place of two men who played a major role in the formation
of the Town of Brevard.

When
Transylvania County was established in 1861 a supplemental act stated that the
county seat would be named Brevard and located within five miles of W.P. Poor’s
store. Commissioners were to “purchase,
or receive by donation, a tract of land of not less than fifty acres” between
May 10 and June 10, 1861. On June 8,
1861 L.S. Gash, B.C. Lankford, and Alexander England sold 50 acres for this
purpose to the Chairman of the Court of Pleas and Quarters of Transylvania
County for $1.00.

Braxton Caldwell
Lankford was 37 years old in 1861. He
was a successful businessman and farmer.
His home and Valley Store, located across the road from Oak Grove
Methodist Church and cemetery, was the site of the first meeting of the court
for the newly formed county on May 20, 1861.

Lankford family graves at Oak Grove Cemetery

Lankford
would go on to hold various county offices, serve as Brevard’s postmaster from
1881-89 and mayor in 1892-93. He was a
Master of the Dunn’s Rock Masonic Lodge.
B.C. Lankford died on August 24, 1895 and is buried beside his first and
second wives, who were sisters, at Oak Grove Cemetery.

The England family plot is at the door step
of the former Oak Grove Methodist Church.

Alexander
England was 39 years old in 1861. Although he lived on the same plot of land his
entire life, England was born in Buncombe County, spent his early adulthood in
Henderson County and was instrumental in establishing Transylvania County. He served as mayor of Brevard in 1893-94. England died March 6, 1896 and is buried at
Oak Grove Cemetery.

The
cemetery, which is owned and maintained by St. Timothy United Methodist Church,
covers less than 4 acres. It includes
the former Oak Grove Methodist Church and has approximately 1000 graves. The oldest marked tombstone is Amanda Thomas
Lankford, 14-month-old daughter of Braxton and Amanda Lankford. She died on May 9, 1861. Her mother died three years later and is
buried beside her.

Photographs
and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina
Room, Transylvania County Library. Visit
the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about
our history and see additional photographs.
For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.

Monday, July 31, 2017

The Davidson
River Cemetery in Pisgah Forest is among the oldest cemeteries in Transylvania
County. It is just over 2.3 acres and
contains approximately 600 graves. The
oldest marked tombstone reads, “Thomas Patton b. 1726, d. Mar 29, 1808.” Many early settlers and county leaders are
buried there. Family names include Cagle,
Clayton, Deaver, Davidson, English, Gash, Hamilton, Lyday, Mackey, Neill, Orr, Patton,
Poor, Young and many more.

Smoke from the burning of cleared over growth gives the old cemetery
an eerie appearance.

In 1914
Glade Creek Baptist Church paid $100 for about 0.16 acres on the northeast corner
of the cemetery for a place to bury African-American members of the community.

In 1976,
Edna Street Reid was instrumental in creating the Davidson River Cemetery Board
of Trustees. Her interest stemmed from a
desire to revitalize the cemetery where much of her family was buried. Reid and others worked tirelessly to clean up
trash and over growth, erase motorcycle paths, repair sunken graves, clean and
repair headstones, and raise funds to support the once neglected cemetery. They also undertook deed research to
establish the property's boundaries. The
group won 2nd place in the Western North Carolina Beautification
program for their efforts two years in a row.

The Waightstill
Avery Chapter of DAR has worked to mark the graves of Revolutionary War
soldiers, beginning with Thomas Patton’s grave in 1976. There are also a number of veterans of the Civil War, WWI, and WWII, as well as others who served in the military buried at Davidson River.

In early
2017 David Reid donated his mother’s cemetery records to the Rowell Bosse North
Carolina Room to provide current and future researchers with access to this
information. Included is a three-binder
containing the Board’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, years’ worth of
minutes and other records, plus correspondence. An additional notebook provides a census of
burials and information on unmarked graves.
A scrapbook kept by Mrs. Reid contains photographs and articles chronicling
the journey to restore and protect the Davidson River Cemetery.

Clean-up reveals an important piece of Transylvania's history.

Over the next few week’s Picturing the Past
will feature a few other Transylvania cemeteries.

Photographs
and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina
Room, Transylvania County Library. Visit
the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about
our history and see additional photographs.
For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.

Monday, July 24, 2017

Community map of the Dunn's Rock area from the
Dunn's Rock Community Club 1955 scrapbook. A
corresponding list identifies who resided at each
numbered location.

The Scrapbook
Collection in the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room at the Transylvania County
Library contains approximately 150 Community Center, Home Demonstration Club,
and 4-H Club scrapbooks.

In the 1950s
rural neighborhoods organized community clubs to bring people together for
educational, civic, and social purposes.
Each community club was encouraged to create an annual scrapbook
featuring the people and places within their community through newspaper articles,
photographs, and other memorabilia.
These scrapbooks have proven to be a wonderful record of life in
Transylvania County from the late 1950s to the early 1990s.

The
scrapbooks were scanned by community volunteers. A few communities decided to leave their
books at the Library to be stored, while others took them back to their
centers. Only a small number are
available online. Sixteen Little River
Community Club scrapbooks can be viewed at DigitalNC.org. The others can be viewed at the Library with
advance notice.

Photograph of Fortnightly Club members, circa 1920s, from a
Fornightly Club scrapbook.

Women’s
Clubs and Garden Clubs also used scrapbooks as a way of recording their
activities in the community. Some of
these groups have also donated their photograph albums, minute books, and other
supporting materials to the Library to preserve a record of their organization
and its work. The AAUW, Fortnightly
Club, Mathatasian Club, Waightstill Avery Chapter DAR, Wednesday Club, Sylvan
Valley Garden Club, and Transylvania Garden Club are among those who have some
records preserved in the Local History Room.

Changing
lifestyles have led to less involvement in community and civic clubs throughout
the United States. Transylvania County
is fortunate to still have several active community centers and clubs that
connect us to our community and to have these records showing past activity.

Photographs
and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina
Room, Transylvania County Library. Visit
the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about
our history and see additional photographs.
For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.

Monday, July 17, 2017

Diagramatic drawing of proposed Davidson River site for
Champagne Paper Corp., March 11, 1938.

The Ecusta
Collection consists of newspaper clippings, company publications, and
photographs donated to the Local History Room at the Transylvania County
Library by former employees and their families.
There is also a large amount of information collected by Brian Du Toit
while researching his book, Ecusta and the Legacy of Harry H. Straus. After publication Du Toit donated the material
to the Library.

The
newspaper articles range from site selection in 1938 to post plant closure. Subjects include early construction, Harry
Straus, the Olin era (1949-1985), the Glatfelter era (1987-2001), Unions and
strikes, sale to Nat Pari, plant closure, environmental concerns, and general history.

The
collection also contains numerous company publications--brochures, employee
bulletins, manuals, memos, and newsletters.
Documents covering Camp Straus buildings and grounds, the landfill, the
dam, and the water system are available as well.

Ladies in the Hand Booklet Department. Do you recognize anyone?

The Ecusta Echo
was the company’s monthly newsletter.
The first issue was published in February 1940. For 15 years it served as the voice of Ecusta
and the larger community. It covered
news and events from each department, recreational activities, and the lives of
employees and their families. All issues
of “The Echo” are available in the North Carolina Room thanks to Fritz Merrill
who donated his bound copies to the Library.
It is also available online at DigitalNC.org.

Ecusta often offered public tours of the facility.

In addition
the Library has approximately 500 photographs of the plant both inside and out,
people at work, and recreational activities.
Most of the pictures date from the Straus and Olin time periods. We are interested in identifying departments,
machinery, and work taking place, as well as individuals in these photographs. If you would like to help please visit the Local
History Room.

Photographs
and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina
Room, Transylvania County Library. Visit
the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about
our history and see additional photographs. For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.